How To Help A Shy, Fearful Dog

Hi

Do you have a dog that is shy and fearful? You know the dog I am talking about. It will not approach new people and is very fearful in new situations and environments. I understand this type of problem and I also realize how concerned you are about the fact that your dog is suffering. Here are a few things you might want to try to help the situation.

Obedience Training :

Yes the very first thing to do for a shy fearful dog is to do some obedience training. Training can give a shy dog a new level of confidence and a feeling of accomplishment. Since your dog is uneasy in strange places training should be done privately in your home where your dog is very comfortable. In this type of case group training is out of the question.

Limited Socialization :

What I mean by limited socialization is to start taking your dog to new places. For example you might go to the parking lot of the local strip mall. Take your dog for a walk around the outer perimeter of the parking lot just to get it used to being in strange new places. As the days go on and the dog gets more and more comfortable in these new surroundings start moving in closer where you might walk in proximity to other people without actually coming into contact with them.

As the sessions continue you should get to a point where you can take your dog on the sidewalk outside of a store while people pass in and out of the stores. You should see your dog getting more and more comfortable as the sessions continue. Please keep in mind that this is a slow process. How slow, depends on your particular dog and the extent of the problem.

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I always suggest that this limited socialization should be done 3 times a week and be sure to vary the location.

Thunder Jacket :

Something that may help a fearful dog is a Thunder Jacket. They are available at the big box pet stores as well as online. It is a fabric jacket or wrap that goes around your dog snuggly. The effect of a thunder jacket varies widely from dog to dog. Some dogs are immediately helped when wearing the jacket while others get no benefit at all. I always tell my clients to save the receipt and all the packaging so you can return it after you have given it a few day trial if it does not work for your dog.